Scapa Flow Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland MV Thorsvoe Arriving at Lyness, With Scapa Flow in the Background Scapa Flow has been as an important haven for over 1,000 years. This stretch of water, very roughly 20km from east to west and 15km from north to south lies, atoll-like, within the shelter of the surrounding Orkney islands. The result is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Today's Scapa Flow is home to a major oil terminal at Flotta. Here up to 10% of the UK's oil arrives by pipe from North Sea oilfields before being transferred to tankers for shipment around the world. Traffic through these busy waters is overseen by the Scapa Flow Control Centre at Scapa Bay, a mile south of Kirkwall. And with a flat bottom at depths of between 60 and 150 feet, an absence of strong currents, and an abundance of wrecks, it is also the centre of a major tourist diving industry, based primarily at Stromness and on Burray and South Ronaldsay.

About 15 dive boats cater for up to 20,000 divers who come to Orkney each year to dive Scapa Flow. Though no evidence remains, Scapa Flow was probably used for fishing by the builders of Maeshowe, 5,000 years ago. But it first came into recorded history with the Vikings. Their world extended from Iceland to Ireland, and from Scandinavia to North Eastern England, and Orkney lay at its centre. The name comes from the Old Norse, Skalpeid-floi, or Bay of the Long Isthmus. In 1670 Stromness, already a whaling and fishing centre, became the main European base for the Hudson's Bay Company. Later, in 1813, commercial shipping going around the north of Scotland to Scandinavia came under threat from US privateers supporting the French. This resulted in the first shore defences overlooking Scapa Flow, with the construction of the Hackness Battery and two Martello Towers protecting Longhope Sound, at the southern end of Hoy. But Scapa Flow would probably have remained no more than a natural wonder had not war clouds gathered over Europe in the early 1900s.

With a war with Germany in prospect, the Royal Navy needed a base for the Grand Fleet better located to counter the German High Seas Fleet based in Baltic ports. Scapa Flow was chosen, and many thousands of service personnel were based on the surrounding islands, and on Hoy and Flotta in particular. In 1919 the German High Seas Fleet was brought to Scapa Flow after the German surrender. A misunderstanding over the progress of the peace talks led the German commander, Admiral von Reuter, to believe that war was about to resume. To avoid his fleet falling into British hands he ordered the scuttling of the 74 German battleships and other warships at anchor in Scapa Flow, on 21 June 1919. Many of these were salvaged for scrap after the war, but others still remain on the sea bed as a magnet for divers. 1939 brought war with Germany again, and Scapa Flow was reactivated as the main base for the Royal Navy.

One of Scapa Flow's most tragic and memorable events took place very early in the war when, on the night of 14 October 1939, the German submarine U-47 found a way through the sunken blockships intended to seal off the narrow eastern approaches to Scapa Flow. It torpedoed HMS Royal Oak, at anchor in Scapa Bay, and made good its escape. 833 members of the Royal Oak's crew were killed. HMS Royal Oak remains on the floor of Scapa Flow as a war grave, and diving it is not permitted. This event led to a visit by Winston Churchill to Orkney and the starting of the building of the Churchill Barriers, causeways linking together the five eastern islands of the group and ensuring that side of Scapa Flow would in future be completely secure. The barriers were completed in May 1945, and remain in use as causeways today. WWII left other legacies around Scapa Flow. Every headland on the surrounding islands seems to carry a disused lookout and a gun emplacement or two. And on Hoy and Flotta it can seem that most of the existing structures are military in origin.

Most striking of all, however, is the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre. This is at Lyness on Hoy, very close to the terminus for the Hoy vehicle ferry from Houton on the Mainland. Lyness housed the main oil storage facilities for the fleet during the war, and the visitor centre is housed in the old pumping station. Behind it is an oil tank (the only survivor of many that once stood here) that is today used to house an audio-visual display. Less obvious are the vast underground oil tanks excavated in the hillside behind, the spoil from which was used to build Lyness's large harbour. The visitor centre still houses the oil pumping equipment, alongside a large range of exhibits that give a real feel for Lyness and for Scapa Flow in the 1940s. Here you can see displays and models showing how Scapa Flow's defences worked, plus models showing the 1919 German Fleet when it was scuttled. There's something for everyone here, from large guns and torpedoes though to photographs and more personal memorabilia that begin to give a sense for the people who spent a part of their lives here, and sometimes died here.

Nearby at Lyness is the Naval cemetery in which those whose bodies were recovered from HMS Royal Oak in 1939 are buried, alongside victims of the WWI Battle of Jutland, the sinking of HMS Hampshire while taking Lord Kitchener to Russia in 1916 and many other incidents from two world wars. Scapa Flow is an atmospheric place. Today's intense oil-related activity exists alongside the relics of many earlier periods of use, both on land and under water. The history of Scapa Flow is intimately intertwined with the history of Orkney, and an understanding of one requires some understanding of the other. Overview: Scapa Flow - The German Valhalla - Submerged Recommended Reading Overview: Scapa Flow – The German Valhalla If you go just about as far north as you can go by car, and then take a two hour ferry ride, you will end up in the Orkney Islands. Beautiful and rugged, the islands cover an area of some 1200 square miles of wild ocean, encompassing some seventy tiny islands. The Ocandians make a living much as they always have, fishing the wild seas and farming the bare windswept land.

Apart from its awesome beauty, (when the sun sets on a clear evening, you wonder if it is the start of the second coming) Orkney has little to commend it apart from the friendliness of its people and a particularly good malt whisky. The German Fleet at Scapa Flow. However there is one thing that makes these islands unique, and that is Scapa Flow, just about the best natural anchorage anywhere in the world. Hated by generations of sailors for its desolate location and mind numbing boredom, Scapa Flow, in its time, has housed some of the biggest battle fleets ever to be assembled anywhere on earth. It was from here that the British Fleet under Admiral Jellicoe sailed out to do battle at Jutland, and it was here that the horrendous tragedy of the Royal Oak took place, leaving eight hundred dead. Even so, all this would no doubt have passed forgotten into history if not for one of the most bizarre events in Naval history, the self destruction of the entire German High Seas Fleet. How could this have happened?

Today with our reliance on nuclear arms, and the consequent rundown of our conventional forces, it is almost impossible for most of us to imagine the sheer might of the Battle Fleets at the turn of the century. Today we consider the aircraft carrier Invincible to be a huge ship, but compared with something like the German Battleship Konig, she does not seem quite so impressive. Even her armament does not really compare for all its twentieth century sophistication. The Konig for instance had ten twelve inch guns in five twin turrets all on the centre line. This meant that they could all fire broadside. Each shell weighed over nine hundred pounds, so when the Konig roared, over nine thousand pounds of armour piecing high explosive hurtled through the air at over 2400 feet per second. Only God could help if you were on the receiving end. Boarding party. In their day the British and German Battle Fleets represented the ultimate in high technology, and were I suppose their equivalent of today’s nuclear arms race. Vast amounts were spent by both sides to build bigger and more powerful ships, and in this manner the seeds were sown that finally brought forth the terrible harvest of destruction in the Great War.

The German Navy under Tirpitz were convinced that if their fleet was powerful enough, Britain would accede to their ambitions in Europe rather than concede control of the high seas. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Britain with its huge Empire depended on the Navy, and over the years had kept a relatively small standing Army, relying on it’s awesome sea power to quash any stirrings abroad. The emergence of a powerful German Navy on its doorstep had a destabilizing effect and was bound to provoke mistrust between the two ‘super powers’. Soon the balance of power in Europe became irrevocably unbalanced. War was inevitable, and each countries Navy was determined not to be found wanting. The Derflinger sinking. In the event the War at Sea was inconclusive. The two huge Battle Fleets met only once, at Jutland, and the outcome of that battle has been argued over ever since. Both sides claimed victory, and although the German Fleet sunk more ships and killed more sailors they failed to seize control of the North Sea. For the rest of the war they never again challenged the British Fleet to a full action, so strategically the Germans lost, and with their defeat went their best chances of winning the war.

On the 5 October 1918 with its Armies in mutiny on the Western Front, and the Navy barricaded by the British, the German Government offered an Armistice, and by the beginning of November hostilities ceased. The German High Seas Fleet based at Wilhelmhaven was due for dispersal to neutral ports to await the outcome of the peace talks. It soon became clear however, that the logistics of interning seventy four ships in different neutral ports would be virtually impossible, so the British insisted that the entire fleet should be interned at Scapa Flow. This was hardly a neutral port, and totally against the spirit of the agreement drawn up under the Armistice. The German Naval officers were not unnaturally furious. To them neutral internment meant that technically they were still in command of their ships pending the outcome of the peace talks. But internment by the British meant virtual surrender. They felt the dishonour very keenly. Here was arguably the worlds most powerful Battle Fleet, unbeaten in combat, finally being defeated by the betrayal of its own politicians. The battleship Baden being salvaged.

Meanwhile in Germany revolution was sweeping the country, and on board the High Seas Fleet morale, already at rock bottom, broke down into widespread mutiny, and the formation of so called ‘Soldiers Councils’. Officers found it almost impossible to keep any discipline, and it was only the faint hope that the Battle Fleet would be allowed home after the peace talks that held the Navy together. The man chosen to lead the mighty German Fleet into internment was Rear Admiral Ludwick von Reuter. At best it was a degrading job for any officer to take on, but Reuter, at the personal request of Admiral Hipper was determined to do it and somehow preserve the honour of the German Navy into the bargain. On the 19 November 1918 Reuter led the High Seas Fleet out from Wilhelmshaven on their last journey, a rendezvous with the British Fleet at the Firth of Forth. Here, five Battlecruisers, eleven Battleships, eight Lightcruisers and six flotilla’s of fifty Torpedoboat-Destroyers were to be inspected to make sure they had completely disarmed in accordance with the terms of the Armistice.

When satisfied the British Navy would lead this once proud German High Seas Fleet in groups to their final anchorage, Scapa Flow. As Reuter sadly wrote years later, ‘we were disarmed and dishonoured’. Sailors from the S.S. Nurenburg surrendering to the British. Reuter saw internment under the British as virtual surrender. With their love of legal niceties, the German Navy still saw the peace talks as a vehicle for their own salvation on equal terms, almost as if the war had not been lost but somehow brought to a draw. The British however considered the Germans to be the vanquished and treated them accordingly. In 1918 there was not much evidence of the British sense of fair play around Scapa Flow. Scuttling was on everybody’s minds. For Reuter it seemed the only way of denying his ships to the Enemy if the peace talks went badly. The British had already circulated orders aimed at minimising the effects of scuttling, but knew in their heart of hearts that they could do little about it. (In the event all but twenty two of the ships completely sank, the rest were beached).

Seven months were to go by until the Armistice came to an end, If the peace talks had not succeeded a state of war would once again break out. If this happened, Rear Admiral Reuter had decided that he would sink his entire fleet of seventy four ships rather than let the British have them. Unfortunately for Reuter, the only information that he could get about the peace talks was what he was told by the British, or what he could read in four day old copies of the Times. This lack of up to date information had a bizarre consequence. By now it was almost certain that Reuter knew that his fleet would never get back to Germany, and therefore he would almost certainly have scuttled it, if only to preserve his notion of the German Navy’s honour. However it must be said that his actual decision to scuttle was based on a misleading report in a copy of the Times that was four days old. At Versailles the peace talks were in chaos, and as the final date drew near, a close agreement still had not been reached.

In the end the British, tired of the whole squalid mess, gave the German Government an ultimatum to either accept the peace terms by noon on the 21 June or face renewed hostilities. That is what Reuter read in his copy of the Times, and that is the information that he acted on. What he did not know is that later on the same day the Germans capitulated, accepted the terms, and the Armistice was extended by two days to tie up the loose ends. Rear Admiral Ludwick von Reuter, Commander of the German High Seas Fleet. So when the 21 June 1919 dawned, there was Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter dressed in his best uniform pacing the deck of his flagship the Emden. At ten thirty he ordered the prearranged coded signal to be hoisted, Paragraph Eleven – Confirm. The controlled suicide of an entire fleet had begun. With their customary good timing the British had chosen this day of all days to withdraw the escorting Battleships and their attendant destroyers from Scapa Flow to send them on exercise. The only witnesses were a bunch of school children on a boat trip to view the ‘defeated Hun’.

In a recent television programme some of those children, now grown old relived their memories. The passage of time had done nothing to diminish the clarity and vividness of their recollections. For them it had been the most incredible experience of their lives, and they could never forget it. If you are lucky enough to dive on the remains of this once mighty fleet, I can assure you that you too will always remember it. It is truly the German Valhalla. Special Report: Scapa Flow: Adventures of a Marine Biologist: Guide: Diving Scapa Flow & the Northern Isles The Oceana is fairly broken up now, but is covered in marine life A diver inside the Endeavour The outside of the Endeavour is covered in soft corals Divers on the James Barrie The bows of the James Barrie The bridge deck and winch mechanisms still in place on the James Barrie. The Jean Elaine coming to pick us up Scapa Flow is a sheltered sea area surrounded by the southern Orkney Islands, the largest of which are the Mainland, Hoy and South Ronaldsay.

These islands keep the Flow sheltered from the worst of the weather, effectively creating a natural harbour which has been used by people for thousands of years to find shelter for themselves and their vessels. More recently it was exploited by the British navy during both the first and second world wars, when it was used as a major naval base to control access to the northern North Sea. The ships that sank during those conflicts and still remain under the waves in Scapa Flow are probably the greatest attraction to the divers who visit the islands every year. To see more underwater photographs, and pictures from Scapa Flow, have a look at the Underwater gallery. Map of the Orkney Islands and Scapa Flow From Wikimedia Commons The northern isles by comparison have no such military history, but have plenty to offer in their own right. Outside the shelter of Scapa Flow, the waters in the north of Orkney are subject to stronger tides and are more exposed to the weather meaning that diving is not always possible in all places. However, these currents serve to keep the water much clearer than could be expected in Scapa Flow and maintain a great variety of marine life to keep the biologists and scenic divers happy.

There are plenty of shipwrecks around the Northern Isles as well, and while they might not be steeped in the history of the military wrecks of the flow, can still be absolutely stunning to visit. Wrecks of Scapa Flow: German High Seas Fleet The most famous wrecks in Scapa Flow are probably the seven remaining battleships and light cruisers from the German High Seas Fleet which was scuttled following the end of World War One. After the armistice was declared in 1918 at the end of World War 1, the High Seas Fleet of the German navy was interned in Scapa Flow with its fate to be decided by the Treaty of Versailles. The peace talks lasted months, and eventually in May 1919, it was declared that the German fleet was to be surrendered to the allied forces much to the displeasure of Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, commander of the German fleet.

He immediately began making plans to scuttle the fleet rather than hand it to the allies, but didn’t have an opportunity to carry them out until 21st June 1919 when all but two of the British vessels that had been guarding the interned force left Scapa Flow for training exercises. Staffed only by skeleton crews, the allied forces did not consider the German navy to be any further threat to them and not worth keeping under constant heavy guard. The message took about an hour to pass between the German vessels, and they acted shortly after. Over the course of a single morning, 74 warships were scuttled and sank. Following the end of WW1, most of those vessels were salvaged for scrap, with only seven of the 74 warships now resting underwater in the Flow: the cruisers Karlsruhe, Dresden, Brummer and Koln, and the battleships Konig, Kronprinz Wilhelm, and the Markgraf. These wrecks now lie in approximately 30-45m of water inside Scapa Flow and more information on each of the wrecks can be found on the photo pages themselves.

Because they are in sheltered waters, they can be dived at any state of the tide and aside from the depth, are relatively easy to dive. That’s not to say that anyone can dive these wrecks – most dive trips to Scapa Flow last a week and decompression requirements can quickly add up, meaning that anyone wanting to dive here needs to be well prepared and a skilled diver. All seven of the wrecks are still in relatively good condition, but my personal favourite of the group is the Koln. This particular wreck is more or less intact, lies on its starboard side, and seems to be a particularly attractive spot for shoals of fish. I have dived it several times in the summer months, and each time it has been swarming with shoals of juvenile fish, which were sometimes so densely packed that it was impossible to see the wreck for the fish even if we were only a couple of metres away from it! I admit, I am generally more interested in marine life than wrecks for their own sake, but when you can have both, it makes for some excellent diving.

Blockships The blockships were merchant vessels that were commandeered and deliberately sunk by the British navy to try and block the entrances to Scapa Flow from German U-boats during the Second World War. the three remaining vessels lie in Burra sound, and are the wrecks of the Doyle, the Tabarka and the Gobernador Bories. They all lie in about 10-20m of water, but must be dived at slack due to the very fast currents in the sound. However, the increased tides do make for some nice visibility, and these blockships are usually clearer dives than the other wrecks in the Flow. Of the three, the Tabarka is generally regarded as the best. I dived this wreck for the first time about 5 years ago, and it was stunning. There's typically a LOT of current on the blockships, but after battling our way down and dragging ourselves through the kelp over the top of the ship we made it inside what appeared to be a giant underwater barn. The visibility was about 30m with sunlight streaming through the sides of the wreck.

Unfortunately, the wreck seems to have deteriorated quite badly in the last few years, and when we dived it in 2008 and 2010 it was a real squeeze to get inside what were once wide, spacious holes along the sides. And that was after 10 minutes trying to find them! The marine life is still really nice along the outside of the wreck though, with loads of filter feeders and anemones covering the edges. The Gobernador Bories and Doyle are still quite intact around the stern and boiler rooms, and the bow of the Gobernador Bories is still intact as well I believe. Wrecks of the Northern Isles I dived in the Northern Isles for the first time in 2008, and was really surprised by the quality of the wrecks outside of Scapa Flow. Outside of the shelter of the Flow, many of the shipwrecks around the Northern Isles lie in quite tidal areas and have to be dived at slack water. However, the benefit of this is that marine life thrives in tidal conditions and the visibility can be excellent.

There are dozens of wrecks around Orkney that can be dived, but the ones we visited were the Oceana (tug), Endeavour (trawler), and Loch Garry (boom defence vessel). Of these, the Endeavour was by far the most memorable, being covered in dead men’s fingers and full of fish with around 30m visibility. It was also easy to enter inside the bows of the vessel, and was a great setting for some wide-angle shots. The Oceana was also quite a nice, atmospheric wreck for photographs, but was much more broken up with only the skeleton structure remaining. One wreck which is worthy of special mention though, and which can be dived as part of either a Scapa Flow or Northern Isles trip is the wreck of the James Barrie. This wreck lies in about 42m of water in a highly tidal area making it probably one of the most advanced-level dives in the area. However, if you can get the right tide and the right group to dive with you will be rewarded by a dive on an intact 60m trawler with visibility up to 30-40m.

The ship itself lies on its starboard side and since there are still nets in the forward holds it is worth approaching it with a bit of caution! But the view on the ship itself is stunning. I’m not sure these photographs really do it justice, but I hope you enjoy them! Getting there To get to Orkney, you can travel by ferry either from Aberdeen (about 3 hours north of Glasgow) or Scrabster (around 5 hours north of Glasgow) to Stromness. I believe there is also the option to fly, but this is much more expensive, and more hassle with dive kit. There are a huge number of dive boats to choose from, but our club have generally dived from the liveaboards MV Jean Elaine or MV Sharon Rose ( ) for the last few years, and they have always provided excellent service, diving and advice. All images shown in this article and more can be seen in the Underwater gallery. Scapa Flow Restaurant, Stromness - Restaurant Reviews & Photos - TripAdvisor New! You come to us for reviews — now you can book your hotel right here on TripAdvisor. Scapa Flow Restaurant, Stromness #6 of 8 Restaurants in Stromness Certificate of Excellence Is this restaurant good for business meetings?

Yes Is this restaurant good for dinner? Yes Is this restaurant good for large groups? Yes Is this restaurant good for lunch? Yes Is this an Indian restaurant? Yes Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers? Yes Is this restaurant good for dining on a budget? Yes Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible? Yes Is this restaurant good for brunch? Yes Map updates are paused. Zoom in to see updated info. Reset zoom 15 Victoria Street | The Stromness Hotel, Stromness KW16 3AA, Scotland Website 96 Reviews from our TripAdvisor Community Hotels travellers are raving about... All reviews steak stromness hotel traditional hotel scapa flow dining room is waiting staff veg Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Start your review of Scapa Flow Restaurant Click to rate “Very good experience” Reviewed 10 September 2016 We had a lovely dinner in the 1st floor dining room. It's one of the very few places in the UK that doesn't have music in the background and we absolutely loved this - finally a restaurant where you can just enjoy your food and have a conversation. The food was tasty and well presented - most of us had... More Helpful?

“Lunch with a Great Views” Reviewed 3 September 2016 A great varied menu and as the Dining Room is on the 1st floor you have a wonderful view of the harbour. The meal was superb with quite large portions, and the staff were friendly and helpful, All this for under £10.00, we will certainly visit again. Helpful? “Not Bad” Reviewed 23 August 2016 The food was okay, the prices were reasonable and the portion sizes were adequate. It's nothing to write home about but it's nothing to complain about. Helpful? “Very good food!” Reviewed 17 August 2016 We just felt like eating out and came here. We both had the Orkney fillet steak and it was really good. The veg was great too and all perfectly cooked and reasonable portions! Helpful? “Bygone charm, bygone everything” Reviewed 9 August 2016 Booked a table for a large group and ordered food as requested 24 hours in advance to assist kitchen staff. But this wasn't really enough as they struggled to deliver the goods...

Food was served over a long time period with veg and potatoes arriving stone cold direct from the kitchen. One person being offered a complimentary desert as they... More Helpful? “Steak!” Reviewed 14 July 2016 Oh, I see.....this is the restaurant, sorry We didn't stay here, but ate two evenings out of three cos the first meal was so great. This is a pub restaurant of the best kind: informal enough to be relaxing, but food good enough for a proper feast. The people at our B&B recommended this place; they said there had been... More Helpful? “A good meal in pleasant surroundings” Reviewed 5 June 2016 We had a good meal at the Scapa Flow Restaurant. The food was well cooked and it arrived quite quickly. Helpful? Reviewed 21 May 2016 via mobile Met up with a few friends for weekend lunch. First impressions - no music on in the background so atmosphere wasn't that comfortable. Food was passable but certainly nothing special. Service was pretty awful - we weren't offered drinks or pudding after our main course - we took the hint and went to pay. Even this was tricky though as... More Helpful?

“Beautiful Island, historic landmarks, greater people” Reviewed 10 May 2016 excellent location ...beautiful hotel ,,very good food and service happened to see the comment below. and other two comments about the hotel from same group/family (judging by the nature of commenst and the time they made it) it is disappointing to read people vent out the personal issues they are having on businesses that depend on tourists. The persons claimed... More Helpful? “Great location but restaurant could be better” Reviewed 27 April 2016 We booked a table at the restaurant to be in location for the Jazz Festival. The young waiting staff tried very hard but had no form of support from the more mature waitress who spent the night socializing with her friends and being less than helpful on the occasions she did attend to paying customers such as being too busy... More Helpful? Write a Review Add Photos & Videos Is This Your TripAdvisor Listing? Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

British, Scottish, Indian, Vegetarian Friendly Meals Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Highchairs Available Good for Address: 15 Victoria Street | The Stromness Hotel, Stromness KW16 3AA, Scotland Location: Europe > United Kingdom (UK) > Scotland > Orkney Islands > Mainland > Stromness Questions & Answers Here's what previous visitors have asked, with answers from representatives of Scapa Flow Restaurant and other visitors 1 question Questions? Get answers from Scapa Flow Restaurant staff and past visitors. Hi, what would you like to know about this restaurant? Posting guidelines Get notified about new answers to your questions. Ask Do you have gluten-free options? Is there a dress code? Do you allow dogs on the outdoor patio? Near Scapa Flow Restaurant © 2017 TripAdvisor LLC All rights reserved. TripAdvisor Terms of Use , Privacy Policy , and Cookie Policy . * TripAdvisor LLC is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site... (more) TripAdvisor LLC is not responsible for content on external web sites. Taxes, fees not included for deals content. TripAdvisor uses cookies to improve your site experience. Learn more or change your settings.

By continuing, you consent to our cookies. Scapa Scuba : Fourth Element Test Centre BOOK A TEST DIVE NOW T - +44 (0)1856 851218 W - Scapa Scuba - Test the Halo3D undersuit whilst diving in Scapa Flow Whether you are a complete beginner, an experienced diver, used to warm water or cold, dive Scapa Flow with Scapa Scuba -Orkney's only PADI Dive Centre! Home to the German High Seas Fleet that was scuttled here on 21st June 1919, Scapa Flow is undoubtedly one of the best dive sites in the world. By offering a full range of dive courses and guided dives Scapa Scuba makes Scapa Flow accessible to all level of divers. We specialise in small groups and individuals so whether you are on you’re own, or part of a group - we will be delighted to take you diving! Alongside the Dive School we have a fully stocked dive shop with our popular 'Wrecked in Scapa' clothing range.

We also manufacture neoprene dry suits and offer an overnight dry suit repair service - where the suits are returned to the boat for you - a trip saver for many! BOOK A TEST DIVE NOW T - +44 (0)1856 851218 Scapa Flow - Diving in Scapa Flow, United Kingdom - Wannadive.net - World dive site atlas Seasons English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! English (Translate this text in English): Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy, it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars. It contains some of the most interesting wrecks in the world. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Fifty-one ships sank.

Some of them remain and provide excellent wrecks for interested sports divers: - Battlecruisers: SMS Hindenburg, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke and SMS Von der Tann. - Cruisers: SMS Cöln II, SMS Karlsruhe II, SMS Dresden II, SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse. SMS Nürnberg II, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Emden II were beached. Enjoy Scapa Flow shipwrecks! 2 Photos - Scapa Flow | Viator Scapa Flow The Scottish Highlands ATTRACTIONS See all Scapa Flow In the Orkney Islands between the North Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, Scapa Flow is one of the great natural harbors of the world. Used since Viking times, Scapa Flow saw its fair share of bloodshed in WWI and WWII, when the harbor served as the ... Subscribe to our email newsletter Sign up Some content licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. © 1997–2017 Viator, Inc. CUR015 - 330202 All rights reserved. Viator is a registered trademark of Viator, Inc. is a Service Mark of Viator, Inc.

Travel with an Insider is a Service Mark of Viator, Inc. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of Viator's Terms & Conditions . Viator uses cookies to improve your experience on our website. Learn more about how we use cookies and how to change your cookie settings | Close message Scapa Flow Diving Holidays | Orkney.com Business Directory Directory Home Scapa Flow Diving Holidays The home of M.V. Invincible, the largest of all the Orkney dive boat fleet. The Invincible takes divers to explore the many wrecks at Scapa Flow. Whether you enjoy wreck diving, drift or scenic diving. For the keen photographer, there are stunning photos to be taken of the wrecks and of the sea life both above and below the water. The home of M.V. Invincible, the largest of all the Orkney dive boat fleet. The Invincible takes divers to explore the many wrecks at Scapa Flow. Whether you enjoy wreck diving, drift or scenic diving. For the keen photographer, there are stunning photos to be taken of the wrecks and of the sea life both above and below the water. Scapa Flow is situated on the north east coast of Scotland.

It is a large expanse of water surrounded by the Orkney Isles. It is a natural harbour providing shelter from the worst of the weather. It has been used as an anchorage since Viking times, and through both world wars. Scapa Flow is one of Europe’s premier wreck diving centres, the historic site of the scuttled German High Seas Fleet, where you’ll find seven large warships and four destroyers remains, which still lay waiting for you to come and explore on the sea bed. M.V. Invincible has an overall length of 25m which provides an extremely safe stable platform for scuba diving; she is a fully equipped liveaboard, including a diver’s lift, operating out of Stromness Harbour. At Scapa Flow on the M.V. Invincible we can accommodate all levels of divers from a PADI beginner, seasoned BSAC veteran or advanced IANTD Technical, we cater for all your needs so whether your a single cylinder, air diver, Nitrox/Trimix, twinset, sidemounts or even mixed gas rebreathers. We're your one stop shop, with facilities for individual divers, or group bookings for up to 12 divers all catered for to the very highest standards.

Service(s) provided: Diving & Marine Services, Accommodation, Air Services, Bed & Breakfast, Boat Hire & Services, Leisure & Sports Facilities, Outdoor Activities, Museums & Heritage Centres, Self Catering, Sports & Outdoor Equipment, Sports Clubs & Associations, Tour Operators, Tourist Attractions, Tourist Information Services, Tours & Sightseeing Gallery: Exploring the 'Mecca' of UK diving - Scapa Flow Please consider whitelisting adaptnetwork.com in your ad blocker. Thanks for supporting ADAPT. Gallery: Exploring the ‘Mecca’ of UK diving – Scapa Flow March 3, 2016 by Marcus Blatchford I always dive with my camera so have been able to build up a vast library of photographs documenting my diving experiences. One of the main things I always try to promote are the gems we are able to find in UK waters. When the subject of diving in UK waters arises with most people, the standard response is: “Really?

Surely there isn’t anything in UK waters, it must be so cold and murky with nothing to see!” For this reason I started a UK Diving group on Flickr, with the main intention of it becoming a place people can showcase their photos of the gems which can be found in and around the UK. The first destination I’ll talk about is known as a ‘Mecca’ in UK diving. Positioned in a small archipelago on the north tip of Scotland is the Orkney Isles. The islands surround a body of water known as Scapa Flow. Scapa Flow’s shape makes for a great natural harbour which was used by the Royal Navy during both world wars. After the 11/11/18 Armistice, the German High Seas Fleet was impounded by the allies and anchored in Scapa Flow. 7 months later, with the armistice in question and the potential of the war continuing, German Admiral Von Reuter gave orders to scuttle the fleet to avoid being impounded in a state of war.

Many ships have been completely salvaged but 7 remain, 3 Battleships (SMS Kronprinz Willhelm, SMS Konig, SMS Markgraf) and 4 Light Cruisers (SMS Karlsruhe, SMS Dresden, SMS Coln, SMS Brummer). In addition to the ‘main’ wrecks Scapa Flow is littered with many other historical wreck sites. Today there are many liveaboard dive boats and some shore based dive operations. You can see more photographs from my latest trip here , and for more information on the history of Scapa Flow, 3d models of the wrecks and dive operators visit: .

Question: In which group of British islands would you find Scapa Flow
Answer: Orkneys